Rapaire - 12/04/05

Today being Tuesday, I have about 6 hours' walking time at Bowglass - Bogha Ghlas, which means Grey Cow. It's actually a narrow strip of land between Loch Seaforth and the main A859 road from Stornoway to Tarbert. At the moment, there are major roadworks right through that area. The single-track (that is: one car's width) road is being doubled in width. I jump off at the Glen Vigadale bridge. The weather this morning is not very nice, but doable. Heavy showers of rain, hail and sleet sweep across the island, spurred on by a strong to galeforce southwesterly wind. The first shower hits me about half an hour into the walk, and it lashes me with hailstones of about 6 mm in diameter. THEY HURT! Although I don't need the map, I use it to shield my face from the hail. One shower leaves a thin covering of snow on Mullach an Langa and Theileasbhal, above 1,900 ft. The showers are very localised, outside their spread the sun shines brightly. Finally arrive on the banks of the Langadale River at 11.45, and have a job finding a decent crossing place. Following the rainfall of the last few days, the waterlevel in the river has gone up by 20 to 30 cms (8-12 inches). Get boots and socks off and venture across. The stones are slippery, and at one stage I get in over my knees. The water is not cold when you're in, but it does hit when you come out again. Aaaaagh! Dry off in the sun, wonder why my toe bleeds and gon on my way. I am worried about the return trip though. I proceed up a very soggy path under the frowning crags of Stuabhal. At 12.40, forty minutes after crossing the Langadale River, I reach the Braigh Iaclachain, the pass under Stuabhal, at 328 m. Here I branch off to the north, to climb to the summit of the adjacent hill Rapaire. It's wet and boggy, and the showers keep coming. Far worse is the wind, it's a full gale howling along the southern slopes of the hill. It forces me to divert southeast, but I have to go up the southeastern spur of Rapaire at any rate. 25 minutes of bogslogging and relentless climbing bring me to the broad summit, at 453 m (1,500 ft). It's a breathtaking view. However, it's 3 degrees colder up there than in the valley, where the temperature was +9C. The gale has strengthened to force 9, which makes it very, very cold. I snuggle down to the lee of the summit cairn and have lunch. Stuabhal looms up to the south, still another 126 m higher than my current position. The coastal hills march on to the southwest, where I can see a corner of Scarp, just above the mouth of Loch Resort. Of the latter loch, I can only see a corner of its headwaters, 3 miles away. The lochs to its north are more clearly visible, from west to east: Bodabhat, Beinisbhal, Leatha. They are crowned by the distant Uig hills. Going further east, a smattering of lochans up to Scalabhal. I don't believe my eyes when the sun comes out and lights up Morsgail Lodge beside its loch. Glancing beyond, I can see Little Loch Roag, Great Bernera and the sea spray flying off the skerries to the north. The view to the far distance is impeded on account of the frequent showers that pass along the western seaboard. I can discern the villages of Calanais and Breascleit. The Barvas Hills are distant. Although I cannot see Eitsal, I do have a strong signal on the mobile. Looking northeast, Loch Langabhat stretches all the way to Roineabhal, looking very diminutive, in spite of its 281 m height. The array of hills up the eastern shores of Loch Langabhat all the way down to Cleit Faobh and Creag na Clibhe directly across. I'm 410 metres above Loch Langabhat. Far beyond I can see the sea, but conditions do not permit me to pinpoint where exactly. I can see Toddum to the southwest, Clisham, Mullach an Langa, Mulla Fo Thuath and Mulla Fo Dheas. They are both about 720 m high, i.e. 2,400 ft. Those 4 peaks look very daunting to climb. Rapaire stretches for about 1 km northeast to crags at Eun Toman, which tower 1,000 feet above Loch Langabhat. It's an easy amble, if slightly longer than the view suggests. Views there are just as breathtaking, and my day is made when a mountain hare lollops away over the hillside. It's still in winterfurs, but is moulting into summer brown. I do not approach the crags themselves, that's too high for me. The severe gale force winds are capable of blowing me off. In order to return to civilisation, I have to hug a contour well below summit height of Rapaire, also to avoid the worst of the winds. The fun starts again when I have to descend to the path. The wind unbalances me, it's rocky and boggy. Nonetheless, I reach the little lochan by the pass at 2.20, and make my way down to the river in 40 minutes. Water in the river is still high, but at least the airtemperature down here is +10C. Enjoy the sunshine till 3.45, after a little hailshower which passed just after I'd made my way across the river. Hail on bare flesh hurts... Walked to the main road in just over 1 hour, including the odd break or two. The HTminibus came along at 5.05, and dumped me outside the Balallan busshelter in the middle of a downpour. Driver could have waited a minute or two, he was early. Nice. South Lochs bus took me up to town at 5.45. Had a nice evening with Mrs B's son + grandchildren.